Although many regions around the world are experiencing economic improvement, some shoppers are still reluctant to spend more money on holiday gifts this season. Retailers that can meet customers' demands through solid promotions will be able to achieve greater success in otherwise static markets. 

Reporting on a study from TNS Gallup Finland, eMarketer noted that most Finnish consumers (68 percent) will maintain the same Christmas budgets in 2013 that they had in 2012. While 13 percent of respondents said their holiday expenditures would increase this year, this is countered by the 19 percent who plan to reduce how much money they spend. 

However, TNS Gallup also found that younger shoppers plan to buy significantly more than respondents over the age of 50. The purchasing habits of more youthful consumers are expected to raise holiday shopping sales in Finland by 15 percent year-over-year from 2012. 

Unlike other regions, Finnish shoppers are also less likely to shop online, with only 26 percent of respondents to the TNS Gallup poll remarking that they would purchase gifts on the Internet this year. 

To address these kinds of differences, merchants operating in international markets should deploy customizable retail software that can be adjusted to the specific demands of a region, rather than try and apply one solution to multiple countries.